Ways To Prevent The Spreading Of Huntington's Disease
Even though there is no way to prevent the occurence of HD if a person has inherited the gene, however, there are ways to prevent HD from spreading in the cases of prospective parents with HD or parents who have a family history of HD. These ways include:
Genetic Counseling-- This is good if you are deciding on whether or not it is wise to start a family. It is also important that you undergo this process if your family has a history of Huntington's Disease.
Blood Testing-- This can help to determine whether or not there is a faulty gene, even before the signs and symptoms start appearing.
"Exclusion Test"-- This testing method compares the patterns of chromosomal inheritance in several other family members with the patterns of the chromosomes inherited by the unborn fetus. In this way, the risk of the fetus carrying the HD gene can be found without disclosing the genetic status of the parent that is at risk.
Adoption or other forms of assisted reproduction such as vitro fertilization that includes pre-implantation screening-- This is extremely beneficial to those who are at risk of contracting the disease. In this process, the woman's embryos are screened for the mutated gene that is Huntington's Disease, and those embryos that do not have that gene are then transfered to the woman's uterus.
Ways To Prevent The Spreading Of Huntington's Disease
Even though there is no way to prevent the occurence of HD if a person has inherited the gene, however, there are ways to prevent HD from spreading in the cases of prospective parents with HD or parents who have a family history of HD. These ways include:Statistics-->